This invention relates to electronic test instruments for measuring high frequency signals and, more particularly, to lightwave testing systems. Specifically, the invention provides in one embodiment a measurement solution for characterizing high-speed lightwave systems, subsystems, and associated components within research and development, as well as manufacturing, environments by means of a lightwave test set connected to an extant vector or scalar network analyzer system.
Many users have existing network analyzers, such as an HP 8510 vector network analyzer system available from Hewlett-Packard Company, Network Measurements Division, Santa Rosa, Calif. Many such users may wish to invest only incrementally in lightwave testing. Moreover, various users want and need HP 8510 vector network analyzer system capabilities in lightwave testing. Also some users may desire an economical solution to lightwave testing through use of a scalar network analyzer such as an HP 8757 scalar network analyzer system.